Diagnostic data interchange

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a bi-directional communication network which provides monitoring, data collection, and control of food service industry operations. The system includes a computer and control logic implemented by the computer which may be configured to perform various tasks. A communication network may be provided linking the computer with equipment and appliances having a microprocessor based controller capable of communicating with the system. In one embodiment, the system automatically verifies the performance of equipment-related manual tasks in food preparation. In another embodiment, the system schedules the maintenance of a plurality of kitchen appliances. In another embodiment, the system provides a hold timer for tracking the hold time of cooked food products and determines when the hold time elapses. In yet another embodiment, the system manages the inventory of cooked food products in a food preparation establishment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.09/587,797 filed Jun. 6, 2000, Pat. No. XXX1 entitled “Smart CommercialKitchen Network”, which was a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 09/083,671 filed May 22, 1998, Pat. No. XXX2 entitled “SmartCommercial Kitchen Network”, which was a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 08/643,207 filed May 2, 1996, Pat. No. 5,875,430entitled “Smart Commercial Kitchen Network”, which are incorporatedherein by reference. Also, the present application is related tocommonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,963 entitled “Plural CookingComputer Communication System,” and U.S. patent application Ser. No.08/501,211 filed Jul. 11, 1995, Pat. No. 5,723,846 entitled “MultiprobeIntelligent Diagnostic System For Food-processing Apparatus,” which areincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a communication network and, moreparticularly, to a communication network, such as a cooking computercommunication system, for monitoring and controlling the activities ofcommercial kitchen or restaurant appliances, and for providingbi-directional communication between such appliances and a controlcenter. Such kitchen or restaurant appliances, for example, includesdeep vat flyers and various types of ovens, and cooling systems, such asrefrigerators and HVAC systems, as well as other related food processingsystems found in today's restaurants and fast food chains.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In recent years, as cooking and restaurant appliances in large hotels orinstitutional kitchens have become more complex, there has been anincreased need for the utilization of computers for diagnosingmalfunctions. Today, cooking appliances are maintained and serviced,however, by a food service industry—that with exceptions—is too poorlyequipped and untrained to do so. The domestic food service industry iscomposed of some three hundred independent service agencies, ranging insize from one up to hundreds of employees. Most, however, consist ofjust a few employees which are unfortunately burdened with theresponsibility for preparing invoices, repairs, inventories, warranties,credits, returns, and the like. For example, these service agencies notonly have to generate invoices, but also have to collect payment, whichfor obvious reasons is time consuming. With such other duties, serviceagencies have little time to keep up with the technology of today'scomplex kitchen or cooking appliances. With the existing food serviceindustry so fragmented and ill-suited to handle administrative tasks aswell as appliance repairs, it is estimated that their efficiency may beas low as 20%.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a cost-effectivesystem which enhances the work force utilization of today's food serviceindustry, allowing the proper work allocation of administrative andrepair skills among those best suited to perform the tasks.

The food service industry is also faced with the problem of a difficultlabor market. There is stiff competition for good employees and notenough workers to fill open positions. Supervision is difficult as well,especially for an owner/operator of multiple commercial units spreadover many miles. Workers may be inadequately trained, careless or maytake shortcuts in completing their tasks properly. Any of these problemscan adversely affect food quality, level of service to the consumer, andcompliance with various health and safety standards (for example, theHazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulations created bythe Food Safety and Inspection Service of the United States Departmentof Agriculture to minimize bacteria-related illnesses which can resultfrom improper food handling, preparation, and holding). These problemsplague even computerized kitchen systems, because those systems canneither independently verify that the ascribed tasks have been properlycompleted, nor identify employees who are cheating the system. Moreover,to be competitive in today's global economy, the food service industrymust gain tighter control over every process in the kitchen to combatescalating labor costs, achieve more accurate product forecasting, andrealize faster and more efficient food preparation to better manage bothfacilities and human resources.

Appliance Status/Monitoring

There is a need in today's food service industry for a system that iscapable of generating computerized task lists on a real time basisinstructing employees to perform needed tasks, and then guiding theemployees through the required tasks. These task lists could betransmitted and displayed on CRT's in the area of the restaurant wherethe task will be performed by the employee for easy reference. The tasklists may also be accompanied by audible instructions in addition to, orinstead of by visual means alone. Such task lists could, for example,provide timely communication between the point of sale (POS) and kitchenfor placing orders. Computerized task lists could also provide importanttraining for employees (especially new trainees), which due to highemployee turnover rates in the food service industry, has becomeespecially problematic for restaurant managers who have precious littletime to spare for training in the first instance. Accordingly, computergenerated lists could step employees through the cooking process forpreparing various food items, various maintenance and cleaningprocedures related to cooking appliances and other equipment, and anyother required general duties.

Known systems use labor management tools to generate and printout astatic list of tasks to be done, for example, at the beginning of eachday. However, such lists do not have any real-time feedback and thus arenot dynamic, and do not adapt to actual and ever changing operatingconditions and requirements in a restaurant. Accordingly, there is alsoneed for a system which can update and modify task list based on sensedor measured operating conditions.

Current fast-food systems typically use in-store CRTs to display tasks.When a task is complete, the employee typically hits a “bump bar” belowthe screen to notify the system that the task is done. The system thenupdates the CRT to indicate that task is done. But this assumes thatthere is no “cheating” (i.e., hitting the bump bar without properlycompleting the task) by the employee. This situation has beenproblematic for supervisors who in the fast-paced food service industrycannot possibly watch all their employees constantly to ensure thattasks are actually being properly performed. Furthermore, cheating byemployees can have a detrimental financial impact on the fast-food andother restaurants. For example, pulling food prepared in a deep vatfryer out before it is done can adversely affect food quality (e.g.,taste, texture, appearance, etc.) and shelf life. Likewise, for example,bakers who pull products out of ovens before they are finished bakingadversely affect food quality. Improperly prepared food causes customerdissatisfaction and loss of repeat business which translates intofinancial losses for food service providers. Another example wherecheating adversely affects the food service industry is in the area ofmaintenance Employees who are lazy or busy may often seek shortcuts bysimply skipping maintenance tasks, or performing them inadequately, butstill hit the bump bar. Known systems cannot detect and provide asufficient check on this type of cheating. Accordingly, there is a needfor a system which can provide automatic verification that a requiredtask has been properly completed by sensing various operatingparameters, rather than relying only on the honesty employees alone.

Virtual Hold Timer

The amount of time a food item can be held and served after it has beencooked is governed by both franchise standards and governmentregulations. For example, the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point(HACCP) standards established by the Food Safety and Inspection Service(FSIS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) dictatesthe amount of time food can be held at various temperatures after it hasbeen cooked before it must be discarded. These standards are intended toprevent illnesses caused by ingesting food products contaminated withmicrobial pathogens which may be passed on to consumers by improper foodhandling practices. Therefore, accurate measurement and tracking of food“hold times” is of critical importance to the food preparation industry.Once this “hold time” expires, the food must be thrown out.

Current systems often use small plastic tags, for example, saying “00”,“15”, “30”, “45”, etc. to represent minutes past the hour when the foodexpires—the tag travels with the food. It is also possible to include asmall mechanical or electronic timer that travels with the food. Anotherknown system uses electric or mechanical timers at each successivelocation; however, it is complicated to set each successive timer basedon the amount of time left on the timer at the previous location. Theseknown systems have not worked well, and much food is often sold beyondits proper hold time, thereby subjecting food service operators toliability for violating HACCP standards and potentially exposingconsumers to food-borne related illnesses.

Accordingly, there is a need for a system that can establish anautomatic “virtual” hold timer associated with each batch of food thatis prepared. Such a system could track the movement of each batch offood through the restaurant or kitchen, and figuratively “travel” withthe food from the cooking appliance to various holding areas and thepoint of sale (POS). Such a system could also provide a single,continuous hold timer for each batch of food, thereby eliminating theneed for kitchen or restaurant employees to set new times manuallytaking into account elapsed hold time from a previous cooking or holdstation. This minimizes the risk associated with food handlers having tophysically handle timers and either misplacing them or making errors insetting successive timers. Moreover, such a system could assist incontrolling inventory of cooked food items by sensing that a particularbatch of food being held is about to expire and then sending a signalinstructing food preparers that another batch of the same product. Sucha system could further be linked to the POS system and historical salesdata maintained by the system to determine how much of a particular foodproduct should be cooked to meet the anticipated demand and replace thefood whose hold time is about to expire.

Shortening Management/Fryer Maintenance Management

The proper maintenance of deep-fat fryers is also of great concern tothe operator of a commercial or institutional cooking establishment.Such fryers typically use food-grade oil or shortening as the cookingmedium. However, the cooking medium degrades with each cooking cycle. Inorder to ensure consistent food quality, periodic filtering and/orchanging of the cooking medium is required. Fryer controllers are oftenhardwired to demand cleaning at a fixed time each day; thus making itimpossible to adapt fryer maintenance to actual operating data (such assales conditions, number of cooking cycles, etc). Other prior artsystems such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,575 to Koether etal. are directed to a stand-alone “smart fryer” in which a cookingcomputer is physically connected to an individual flyers. Such prior artsystems offer some improvement over the fixed-time fryer controllers inthat they attempt to ensure that changing or filtering of the cookingmedium is conducted timely and properly, based on tracking actual flyerusage and other relevant parameters such as cooking temperatures.However, an individual fryer cooking computer only determines whencooking medium maintenance is required for the particular flyer withwhich it is physically associated, without regard for any other fryers.This is problematic for restaurant management because it is notdesirable to have too many fryers unavailable due to maintenance whenthe restaurant is busy and demand for food is highest. Ideally, fryermaintenance should coincide with off-peak demand periods, or at the veryleast, multiple fryers should not be unavailable for service at the sametime. Accordingly, there is a need for a networked control system thatcould monitor and control maintenance of all fryers at a givenrestaurant location. Furthermore, there is a need for a networkedcontrol system that can balance individual fryer usage and time themaintenance of all fryers at a given restaurant location to ensure thata maximum number of flyers are available for service during periods ofpeak food demand.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a bi-directional communication networkwhich provides real-time computer-aided diagnostics, asset history,accounting records, maintenance records and energy management.Advantageously, such a network integrates the various work aspects oftoday's food service industry to insure the proper work allocation ofadministrative and repair tasks.

The system includes a control center linked to a point of sale (POS) orautomated teller machine (ATM) system, a plurality of kitchen basestations, and a plurality of kitchen or restaurant appliances locatedwithin a site or cell(s). Maintenance and repair, once initialized, aremonitored, for example, through the control center having a databasewith the necessary software diagnostics, accounting records, inventoryrecords, and maintenance records for the particular appliance underservice so as to integrate the various aspects of accounting, billing,repair and energy management.

In a preferred embodiment, each cell is allocated at least onecommunication channel, preferably wireless, to effect bidirectionalcommunication with the base stations, which in turns are interconnectedto the control center over high speed data links. In particular, thesystem monitors and tracks the maintenance and repair of kitchenappliances by means of information transmitted to and received fromthose appliances over the data network. Such information may includecooking parameters, billing information, appliance identification,diagnostic information, and maintenance instructions, among others.Direct billing is facilitated by transferring financial informationamong POS or ATM systems operated by various merchants and clearinghouse network centers.

Each kitchen base station may interrogate the appliance or the appliancemay request to transmit diagnostic information relating to the operatingconditions thereof, which diagnostic information may be immediatelycommunicated to the control center. The control center may take actionas appropriate, including, among others, downloading updated, operatingand/or diagnostic software to the appliance, dispatching a servicevehicle, or updating accounting and inventory information. Most of thefunctions are automatically controlled by the control center, but may bealso performed manually by a control center operator. Alternatively,some of these functions may be distributed to the base stations, such,as in a distributed architecture network.

In the preferred embodiment, on site repair is enhanced through the useof a portable hand held terminal linked to the appliance through, forexample, a wireless RS-232 interface, such as by infrared communication.The hand held terminal interrogates the appliance to diagnose abnormaloperating conditions. Upon effecting repair, the control centerpreferably prepares and transmits an appropriate invoice and effectsbilling through the POS or ATM system. During repairs, should the handheld terminal require updated diagnostic software for the particularappliance under service, such a request is transmitted to the controlcenter. The appropriate software is then transmitted to the terminalthrough the communication data network. In this manner, as newdiagnostic tools become available for specific kitchen or restaurantappliances, they are readily accessible for use by the food serviceindustry.

Similarly, the database contains maintenance instructions for each typeof kitchen or restaurant appliance. If the service personnel isunfamiliar with the appliance, a request may be initialized for thecontrol center to download the necessary repair and maintenanceinstructions for the appliance under service.

Importantly, the control center includes a database containing customerinformation, accounting history, appliance data, such as previousrepairs and faults, updated diagnostic software and billing data.Advantageously, this allows service personnel as well as control centeroperators to update credits, warranties, or returns for a particularsubscriber in real time. Also, service personnel may request the controlcenter to generate and transmit various accounting, billing or repairrecords for a specific subscriber or appliance. Such capabilitiesenhance quality control as well as minimize the amount of work performedby service personnel on administrative tasks.

The control center may, if desired, control in real- time the normaloperation for some or all of the kitchen or restaurant appliances. Forexample, to effect a change in a recipe for a particular food product,new cooking parameters may be communicated to the controllers of eachdesired kitchen or restaurant appliance. In this manner, retail foodservice chains may readily update the cooking profiles of their foodproducts on a global basis.

In another aspect of the invention, the control center may control whenthe kitchen or restaurant appliances are turned on and off. In thismanner, a minimum peak power can be achieved by limiting the number ofappliances turned on at any instance in time. Moreover, the appliancescan be prioritized so that desired appliances can be serviced first,depending on the type of appliance and its relative importance to thelocation.

Appliance Status/Monitoring

In accordance with one embodiment, the system may be used toautomatically verify the performance of equipment-related manual tasksfor equipment used in food preparation. The system includes at least onepiece of equipment having a microprocessor capable of communicating withthe system. At least one sensor capable of sensing a parameter relatedto the performance of at least one equipment-related manual task isprovided. In one embodiment, the parameter provides an indication ofwhether the at least one equipment-related manual task was completed. Inanother embodiment, the parameter is indicative of whether the at leastone equipment-related manual task was properly performed.

The system further includes a control computer which implements controllogic that is operative to automatically monitor the performance of theat least one equipment-related manual task. A communication network thatis provided allows communication between the computer and one or both ofthe at least one piece of equipment and sensor. The control computer maybe resident in a kitchen base station or in a control center. Theequipment may be a kitchen appliance which in one embodiment may be afryer.

In one embodiment, the communication network effectuates communicationsover the Internet. In another embodiment, the communication networkeffectuates communications between the computer and the at least onepiece of equipment by wireless data transmission. The wireless datatransmission may be performed over the Internet.

In another embodiment, the computer generates at least one messagepertaining to the at least one equipment-related manual task. The atleast one message may be displayed on a visual display monitor where,for example, it can be observed by personnel in a food serviceestablishment. The message may also be simultaneously delivered by thesystem to a location remote from the food service establishment (e.g., acontrol center) via the communication network to inform the foodestablishment operator or management. The message may be accessible tothe operator or management over the Internet through a Web interface.

The system may further comprise a database containing stored historicalinformation related to the performance of the at least oneequipment-related manual task. In one embodiment, the stored historicalinformation comprised information related to one or more of the set of:the type of the at least one equipment-related manual task; when thetask was performed; and the identity of the person performing the task.

A method for automatically monitoring the performance ofequipment-related manual tasks is also provided which may comprise thesteps of:

-   -   providing at least one piece of equipment used in food        preparation, said piece of equipment having a        microprocessor-based controller;    -   providing at least one sensor capable of sensing a parameter        related to the performance of at least one equipment-related        manual task;    -   providing a control computer implementing control logic        operative to automatically monitor the performance of the at        least one equipment-related manual task;    -   providing a communication network allowing communication between        the control computer and one or both of the at least one piece        of equipment and the sensor;    -   monitoring the at least one piece of equipment;    -   performing the at least one manual task involving the at least        one piece of equipment; and    -   sensing the performance of the at least one equipment-related        manual task.

In one embodiment, the method further comprises the communicationnetwork effectuating communications at least in part over the Internet.In another embodiment, the method further comprises effectuating thecommunication between the control computer and one or both of the atleast one piece of equipment and the sensor being at least in part bywireless data transmission. The method may further comprise performingthe wireless data transmission at least in part over the Internet.

The method may further comprise the step of generating at least onemessage pertaining to the at least one equipment-related manual task. Inone embodiment, the method further comprises the step of displaying theat least one message on a visual display monitor.

Shortening Management System

In accordance with another embodiment, the system may be used toschedule the maintenance for a plurality of kitchen appliances in a foodpreparation establishment. In one embodiment, the appliances may befryers. The system comprises a plurality of kitchen appliances, acomputer capable of communicating with the plurality of kitchenappliances, and a communication network linking the computer with theplurality of kitchen appliances. The kitchen appliances havemicroprocessor based controllers that are capable of communicating withthe system. Control logic is provided which is implemented by thecomputer and is operative to schedule the maintenance of the pluralityof kitchen appliances. The control logic may be resident in a kitchenbase station or a control center.

In one embodiment, the control logic may be operative to determine thedaily consumer demand for at least one cooked food product. The systemmay further comprise the control logic being operative to maximize thenumber of kitchen appliances available for service at selective timeperiods during the day, which in one embodiment are peak demand periodsfor food products. The control logic may also be operative to balancethe utilization of the plurality of kitchen appliances.

In another embodiment, the system further comprises the maintenancebeing scheduled so that a maximum number of kitchen appliances availablefor service at any given time period during the day to coincide with atleast one peak demand time period for at least one food product.

In one embodiment, the communication network effectuates communicationsover the Internet. In another embodiment, the communication networkeffectuates communications between the computer and the at least onepiece of equipment by wireless data transmission. The wireless datatransmission may be performed over the Internet.

A method for scheduling maintenance of a plurality of kitchen appliancesin a food preparation establishment is also provided which comprises thesteps of:

-   -   providing a plurality of kitchen appliances; providing a        computer capable of communicating with the plurality of kitchen        appliances;    -   providing a communication network linking the computer with the        plurality of kitchen appliances;    -   providing control logic implemented by the computer;    -   monitoring actual operating data of the plurality of kitchen        appliances;    -   predicting food product demand; and    -   scheduling the maintenance of the plurality of kitchen        appliances.

In one embodiment, the method involves scheduling maintenance forfryers, which in another embodiment is changing or filtering of cookingmedium used in the fryers. The method may further comprise schedulingthe maintenance of the plurality of kitchen appliances to maximize thenumber of appliances available at selective time periods during the day.In one aspect of the invention, the selective time periods of the methodcoincide with at least one peak demand time for at least one foodproduct.

Virtual Hold Timer

In accordance with one embodiment, a system for tracking the hold timeof cooked food products is provided comprising: at least one cooked foodproduct having a predetermined hold time; a plurality of food holdingareas to hold the at least one cooked food product; a control computer;and control logic implemented by the computer. The control logic isoperative to determine when the hold time for the at least one cookedfood product elapses.

In one embodiment of the invention, the control logic is also operativeto determine if the at least one cooked food product has been moved froma first food holding area to a second food holding area. The controllogic may further be operative to record the movement of the at leastone cooked food product to the at least second food holding area.

The control logic may also be operative to generate an expiration signalwhen the hold time for the at least one cooked food product has elapsed.An audiovisual indicator which, responsive to the expiration signal, mayalso be provided which indicates that the hold time has elapsed. Anaudiovisual indicator as used herein is defined to mean either an audiowarning or a visual message display.

In accordance with one embodiment, the control logic of the system maybe operative to assign a batch identification number to at least onecooked product. The system may further comprise data entry means topermitting a batch identification number to be manually input into thesystem to identify in which food holding area the food has been placed.In one embodiment, the batch identification number is input in thesystem at least in part by wireless data transmission. The data entrymeans may be a keypad associated with a food holding area.

The system may further comprise a sensor to measure some parameterrelated to at least one cooked food product, the sensor providing, tothe control computer, a signal relating to the parameter. In oneembodiment, the parameter relates to the presence or absence of the atleast one food product in a specific holding area. In anotherembodiment, the parameter relates to the temperature of the at least onecooked food product.

In accordance with another embodiment, the system may be used to managethe inventory of cooked food products in a food preparationestablishment. This system comprises: at least one cooked food producthaving a predetermined hold time; a plurality of food holding areas tohold the at least one cooked food product; a control computer; andcontrol logic implemented by the computer. The control logic isoperative to determine when the hold time for the at least one foodproduct will elapse in the future and to provide advance notification ofwhen the hold time will elapse. The system may further comprise advancenotification times corresponding to different types of the at least onecooked food product being stored in a database accessible to the controllogic.

The control logic may also be configured to generate an advancenotification message signal indicative of when the hold time will elapsein the future. In response to this signal in one embodiment, anaudiovisual indicator provides an advance indication of when the holdtime will elapse in the future. The system may further comprise anaudiovisual indicator to provide an indication to cook more of the atleast one food product before the hold time elapses for the foodproduct. In one embodiment, the system may further comprise the controllogic being operative to determine if more of the at least one cookedfood product whose hold time will elapse in the future is available orbeing cooked in another location in the food preparation establishment.

A method for tracking the hold time of cooked food products is alsoprovided comprising the steps of:

-   -   providing at least one cooked food product having a        predetermined hold time;    -   providing a plurality of food holding areas for holding the at        least one cooked food product;    -   providing a control computer;    -   providing control logic implemented by the computer, the control        logic being operative to determine when the hold time for the at        least one cooked food product elapses; and    -   determining when the hold time for the at least one cooked food        product elapses.

The method may further comprise providing a data entry means to manuallyinput a batch identification number of the at least one cooked foodproduct into the control computer. In one embodiment, the method furtherincludes the step of determining if the at least one cooked food producthas been moved from a first food holding area to at least a second foodholding area. The method may further include displaying a message thatthe hold time has expired for the at least one cooked food product. Inanother embodiment, the method comprises assigning a batchidentification number to the at least one cooked food product.

A method is also provided for managing the inventory of cooked foodproducts in a food preparation establishment comprising the steps of:

-   -   providing at least one cooked food product having a        predetermined hold time;    -   providing a plurality of food holding areas for holding the at        least one cooked food product;    -   providing a control computer;    -   providing control logic implemented by the control computer, the        control logic being operative to determine when the hold time        for the at least one food product will elapse in the future and        to provide advance notification of when the hold time will        elapse.    -   determining when the hold time for the at least one food product        will elapse in the future; and    -   providing advance notification of when the hold time for the at        least one food product will elapse in the future.

In one embodiment, the method may further comprise notifying foodpreparation establishment personnel to cook more of the at least onecooked food product before the hold time elapses for the at least onecooked food product. The method may also comprise determining if more ofthe at least one cooked food product whose hold time will elapse in thefuture is available or being cooked in another location in the foodpreparation establishment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention in which like elements are labeled similarly and in which:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial representation of the present smart commercialkitchen network including a control center, a plurality of kitchen basestations, and a plurality of kitchen or restaurant appliances;

FIG. 2 is a more detailed block diagram of the appliances and thekitchen base stations of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a more detailed block diagram of the control center of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary illustration of a coverage map as it might bedisplayed to a control center operator;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the transmitter and receiver of a kitchenor restaurant appliance used in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the operation of the kitchen basestation of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are flow charts illustrating the operation of thecontrol center of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a pictorial representation of the repair process used inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram representing a flyer and food holdarrangement for a commercial kitchen including a plurality of fryers andfood holding areas;

FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram representing a deep vat fryer and variousappurtenances;

FIG. 9C is a flow chart showing exemplary control logic of the systemfor automatically verifying the completion of cooking appliance relatedtasks that are performed manually;

FIG. 10A is a flow chart showing exemplary control logic of the systemfor a virtual hold timer used to track the movement of batches of foodthrough a commercial kitchen and determining when the food hold time hasexpired;

FIG. 10B is a flow chart showing exemplary control logic of the systemfor assisting commercial kitchen management with inventory control ofcooked food products; and

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing exemplary control logic of the systemfor providing networked cooking medium maintenance for a plurality offlyers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The inventive Smart Commercial Kitchen (SCK) network has the ability,among other things, in real-time to monitor and control the maintenance,repair and energy management of kitchen or restaurant appliances locatedover a wide geographical area. Maintenance and repair, once initialized,are monitored through a control center which contains the necessarysoftware diagnostics, accounting records, inventory records, andmaintenance records for the particular appliance under service. Thecapability to integrate these various accounting and repair servicesaffords a highly efficient means for providing timely service to systemsubscribers. The SCK network may be customized to the particular needsof the subscribers, and due to the preferred use of wirelesscommunication, such as cellular radio communication, may be installedand used virtually anywhere in the world.

It is contemplated that the present SCK network may be realized, inpart, by wireless communication. It is to be understood, however, thatthe network described below is for the purpose of illustration only andnot for the purpose of limitation. Other suitable communication, whetheroptical or wired, may be used with the present invention.

Also, in the embodiment below, integrated repair and accounting servicesare provided and coordinated preferably through a centralized controlcenter. It should, however, be clearly understood that some of theseservices may be distributed or off loaded to base stations which may beprogrammed to effect these latter services. The choice is dependent onwhether the network is structured as a highly centralized or distributedarchitecture.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown—in schematic block diagram—acommunication system 100 in accordance with the principles of theinvention. In FIG. 1, an arbitrary geographic area may be divided into aplurality of radio coverage areas or cells 105 (C₁-C₆). It should beclearly understood that these cells may be located within the same ordifferent buildings. While the system in FIG. 1 is shown to include onlysix (6) cells, it should be clearly understood that the number of cellsmay be much larger.

Associated with and located within each of cells 105 (C₁-C₆)is one ormore kitchen or restaurant appliances 110 (A₁-A₁₁) under subscription tothe services of the system. Each kitchen appliance 110 (A₁-A₁₁) ispreferably provided with a RF transmitter 120, RF receiver 130 andmicroprocessor based controller 140, as illustrated in FIG. 2.Alternatively, each kitchen appliance may effect communications throughwire data links. Restaurants, bakeries or hotels, for example, can haveanywhere from one to forty (40) kitchen appliances at a single site orcell. Such kitchen or restaurant appliances include, for example, deepfryers, refractory ovens, baking ovens, combination ovens, infraredovens, rotisseries, refrigerators, I-WAC systems, and the like.

Microprocessor based controllers have been developed, for example, byFood Automation—Service Techniques, Inc. (FAST.)® of Connecticut inrecent years to assist in the preparation of properly cooked foods.These controllers, sold under the trade name FASTRON®, among otherthings, regulate the temperature within the kitchen appliance to insurethat the food is cooked or baked to the proper degree of doneness. Moreparticularly, under program control, the controller regulates thevarious operations of the kitchen appliance, such as the cooking timeand temperature, for either a single food product or a plurality of foodproducts. That is, the kitchen appliance is programmed to operate withcooking parameters tailored for a specific food product. See, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,948, which is incorporated herein byreference.

Moreover, the controller regulates the percentage of time power isapplied to the heating (or cooling) element in accordance with thecooking parameters selected by the user. For example, the heatingelement or heating elements may be pulsed with either a fixed orvariable duty cycle (proportional control heating), may be fully turnedon, or operated in an off/on manner similar to a thermostat, dependingon the heating mode of the kitchen appliance.

Moreover, such controllers may include built-in intelligent sensing anddiagnostic equipment, which coupled through an interface board, detectand identify various types of failures. Such failures include faultyheaters, sensors, fans, and the like. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,043,860 and applicants' copending applications: U.S. Ser.No.08/501,211 and U.S. application entitled “Diagnostic System For ACooking Appliance” filed Oct. 26, 1995, Ser. No. 08/549,098, which allare commonly assigned and incorporated herein by reference.

With continuing reference to FIG. 1, kitchen base stations 150 (B₁-B₆)may be found within respective cells 105 (C₁-C₆). Preferably, eachkitchen base station 150 (B₁-B₆) is capable of communicating throughwireless means, such as through cellular radio or other wireless means,with corresponding kitchen appliances 110 (A₁-A₁₁). If desired, manualchanges in the menus or the cooking profiles may be made through anappropriate terminal 155 attached to the base station. As such, eachkitchen base station 150 (B₁-B₆) includes a RF transmitter 160 and RFreceiver 165, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Wire interconnections are notdesirable, due primarily to the likelihood of such wires beinginadvertently cut by culinary instruments. It should, however, beunderstood that wire interconnections may be used. Of course, satellite,microwave or infrared communication may also be used in accordance withprinciples known to those skilled in the art.

Preferably, each of cells 105 (C₁-C₆) is allocated at least one cellularradio channel used to effect bidirectional communication so as tomonitor and track the maintenance, repair and energy management ofkitchen appliances 110 (A₁-A₁₁) by means of information transmitted toand received from those appliances. Such information may include cookingparameters, billing information, appliance identification, diagnosticinformation, and maintenance instructions, as discussed herein below.Those skilled in the art will readily note that the channels may operateeither in an analog or a digital mode or a combination thereof. In thedigital mode, analog signals are converted to digital representationsprior to transmission over the RF channel. Purely data messages, such asthose generated by microprocessor based controller 140 may be formattedand transmitted directly over a digital channel.

Communication is provided between kitchen base stations 150 (B₁-B₆)and acontrol center 170 through communication links 175 of a data network180. Control center 170 may be attended by one or more trained operatorsthrough terminals 185. Digital links operating at 56 Kb/sec or highermay be used as communication links 175. The data network 180 may be anintegrated system digital network (ISDN) facility. In this latterinstance, the X.25 protocol, may be used for facilitating the sending ofmessage data between kitchen base stations 150 (B₁-B₆)and control center170. The X.25 protocol is well known to those of ordinary skill in theart and will not be discussed herein for the sake of clarity.

It should be understood that control center 170 includes a repair andaccounting database 190 that permits the exchange of informationrelating to repair, accounting and billing. In addition, each kitchenbase station 150 may contain internally resident databases necessary oruseful in the customer billing or accounting process. Control center 170may be, for example, located within the same physical location as thecells. For extended coverage around the world, however, a plurality ofcontrol centers linked to each other may be employed.

Each kitchen base station 150 (B₁-B₆) may interrogate a correspondingcontroller 140 or controller 140 may request to transmit diagnosticinformation relating to the operating conditions of kitchen appliances110 (A₁-A₁₁), which diagnostic information may be immediatelycommunicated to control center 170. It is contemplated that thisdiagnostic information may also be stored in internally residentdatabases of the kitchen base stations. Control center 170 may takeaction as appropriate, including, among other things, downloadingupdated diagnostic software to controller 140, dispatching a servicevehicle 195 through a mobile kitchen center 200, or updating accountingand inventory information, which is discussed in more detail hereinbelow. Most of the functions are automatically controlled by controlcenter 170, but may be also performed manually by the control centeroperator. If desired, some of these functions may be distributed to thebase stations.

Service vehicle 195 is provided, maintained and operated independentlyby the service agency subscribers to the system. Although FIG. 1 onlyshows one service vehicle, it should be clearly understood that inpractice a fleet of service vehicles would be used.

Communication network 100 also is preferably linked to a generic pointof sale (POS) or an automated teller machine (ATM) system 205 which islinked to each of kitchen base stations 150 through data communicationnetwork 180. Further ATM/POS system 205 includes a POS/ATM datacommunication network 210. Plurality of independently operated ATM/POSsystems all intercommunicate simultaneously in order to provide billingservice to subscribers of the inventive communication network. Aclearing house data communication network also interconnects theplurality of ATM/POS systems to clearing house network centers. Bytransferring information among the different ATM/POS systems operated byvarious merchants, the clearing housing data communication network andthe clearing house network centers allow direct inter-institutiontransactions, such as between ATM/POS system 205 and the particularATM/POS system operated by the subscriber's financial institution.

Referring to the illustration of FIG. 3, control center 170 may includea communication controller 215, and a display controller 220, therebeing a suitable conventional interface 225 therebetween. As statedabove, control center 170 includes database 190 containing, for example,the locations of the kitchen appliances, diagnostic software, associatedaccounting and billing information, and energy management data, asdiscussed herein below. Interface 225 may be a local area network (LAN)interface, having one or more terminals 185, allowing control centeroperators to enter information. Terminals 185 are understood to includeany of a variety of input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, trackball,or other user interface.

Communication controller 215, among other things, serves as a processorand buffer between kitchen base stations 150, and display controller 220and database 190. Data transmitted through communication controller 215may be displayed on a communication display 230. Display controller 220is provided with a map display which displays information regarding thekitchen appliances in a graphical manner, such as on pre-existingdigitized maps of arbitrarily large geographical areas, such as a cityor state. Such a coverage display is illustrated in FIG. 4. For example,appliances may be noted by dots, with those requiring service indicatedin red. Other suitable legends may be displayed, for example, indicatingthe type of appliance, last service day, parts availability, among otherthings.

Referring next to FIG. 5, there is shown therein a simplified schematicblock diagram of the equipment for kitchen appliances 105 used totransmit and receive data from kitchen base stations 150 in accordancewith the present invention. In particular, the equipment illustrated inFIG. 5, may be used for communication to kitchen base stations 150 overdigital channels. Data destined for transmission to the kitchen basestation is divided into data packets of messages in accordance, forexample, with the time division multiple access (TDMA) technique ofdigital communications. Those skilled in the are will readily note thatother techniques may be used, such as CDMA. Data packets along withsupervisory messages generated by a so-called fast associated controlchannel (FACCH) generator 515 are time division multiplexed bymultiplexer 510. The output of multiplexer 510 is provided as an inputto a burst interleaver 520 that divides the data into n consecutive timeslots, each occupied by a byte consisting of m bits of controlinformation. This interleaved data forms the input to a burst generator525 that produces “messages burst” of data, each consisting of a timeslot identifier, digital verification code, control or supervisoryinformation and the data to be transmitted.

The message burst produced by burst generator 525 is provided as aninput to a RF modulator 530. RF modulator 530 is used for modulating acarrier frequency according to, for example, the π/4 DQPSK techniquethat is well known those in the art of cellular radio communication. Theuse of this technique implies that the information transmitted by eachappliance transmitter is differentially encoded, that is two bit symbolsare transmitted as four possible changes in phase: + or −π/4 and + or−3π/4. The carrier frequency for the selected transmitted channel issupplied to the RF modulator by a transmitting frequency synthesizer535. The burst modulated carrier signal output of RF modulator 530 isamplified by a power amplifier 540 and then transmitted to the basestation through an antenna 545.

Each appliance 110 receives burst modulated signals from kitchen basestations 150 through an antenna 550 connected to a receiver 555. Areceiver carrier frequency for the selected receiving channel isgenerated by a receiving frequency synthesizer 560 and supplied to a RFdemodulator 565. RF demodulator 565 is used to demodulate the receivedcarrier signal into an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. Theintermediate frequency signal is then demodulated further by an IFdemodulator 570 which recovers the original digital information as itexisted prior to π/4 DQPSK modulation. The digital information is thenpassed to symbol detector 575 which converts the two bit symbol formatof the digital data provided to a single bit data stream. For a moredetailed description on the use of cellular radio communication, see,for example, Cellular Radio: Principles and Design, Raymond C. V.Macario, McGraw-Hill, Inc. 1993.

Those skilled in the art will readily note that much of the equipmentused by appliances 110 to effect cellular communication may also be usedby kitchen base stations 150 and mobile kitchen center 200. Accordingly,for the sake of simplicity, that equipment will not be discussed herein.There is, however, one important difference. Kitchen base stations 150,unlike appliances 110, are preferably connected to control center 170through high speed communication links of data network 180. Also,kitchen base stations 150 each includes a microprocessor 167 thatcontrols the activities of the base station and communication among theappliances and the kitchen base stations. Decisions are made by themicroprocessor in accordance with data received from control center 170.The microprocessor is also provided with terminal keyboard and displayunit 155 that allows a user to exchange information with appliances 110as well as with control center 170.

FIG. 6 is a simplified flow chart illustrating the operation of thekitchen base station. Briefly, the flow chart includes a sequence ofgenerally repetitive instructions arranged in a loop in which thestation polls or is interrupted by special events and branches to anappropriate communication mode.

On power up at block 600, control passes to block 605 which determineswhether data has been received from the kitchen appliances. Essentiallydecision block 605 determines whether the kitchen appliance (s) arecommunicating to the control center. If such communication is requested,control passes to block 610 to effect communication. Otherwise, block615 determines whether the control center is attempting to communicatewith the kitchen appliance(s). If so, at block 620 the received data isforwarded to the appropriate appliance. Control then passes to block 625which determines if an operator has entered any message data, either toan appliance or the control center. Any such data is then transmitted atblock 630.

In general; an application-oriented protocol is used to coordinate theactivities between the appliances and the control center to ensurecommon syntax semantics for the transmitted application data. Forexample, the application-oriental protocol may specify a particular typeof encoding for appliance identification data as well as the originationof such information with a message. The application-oriented protocolformats the messages and transmits either to the kitchen appliance orthe control center. Control center 170 may transmit, for example,updated diagnostic software for the appliance, updated cooking profiles,and in general, data associated with the operations of the kitchenappliances. On the other hand, data transmitted from the kitchenappliance may include identified failures or malfunctions in the cookingappliance, including kitchen appliance identification information.

Normally, monitoring and tracking control passes to the control centerafter a malfunction or fault has been reported by the microprocessorbased controller. However, the control center may effect preventivemaintenance even when there is no malfunction reported. Scheduledpreventive maintenances are stored in database 190. Alternatively, eachbase station may request preventive maintenance for its associatedkitchen appliance(s). At the appropriate time, control center 170dispatches a service vehicle.

Referring now to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the operation of the control center isillustrated. FIGS. 7A and 7B show the manner in which the control centerin the present embodiment tracks and monitors repair and maintenance. Inmost instances, it is understood that the control center initializesservice only to effect repair or preventive maintenance. Integrated withthis function is the system's capability to effect billing andaccounting.

Normally, message data from the appliances consists of four differenttypes: repair, billing, diagnostic or reports. At decision blocks 705,710, 715 and 720, control center 170 determines which type of messagedata it is. Block 705 checks for repair message data. If, in decisionblock 725, a repair request has been received from the appliance,control then passes to block 755 which, once identifying the location ofthe appliance and the nearest service agency, dispatches a servicevehicle.

Those skilled in the art will readily note that the network system ofthe present invention allows the control center to monitor kitchenappliances located over wide geographical areas for early warning offailure or degradation in performance. If the degradation, however, isgross, the control center may communicate and display on the console ofthe kitchen appliance a message warning that the kitchen appliance isunacceptable for cooking purposes. If desired, the control center may beprogrammed in the latter instance to disable the kitchen appliance toeliminate any possible health risks. Alternatively, the cookingparameters of the kitchen appliance may be changed to compensate for themalfunctioning appliance until repairs can be effected.

Once a service vehicle has been dispatched, any graphical display of theappliances as well as database 190 is updated to indicate the currentstatus of the appliance under service, as noted at block 760.

It is contemplated that the control center responds to diagnosticsinformation transmitted periodically by the appliance. At block 730,such diagnostic information is stored in database 190. This diagnosticinformation may include, but is not limited to the information indicatedbelow: Appliance Location Appliance Type Controller Type DiagnosticSoftware Version Last Repair Date Next Maintenance Date Time Stamp DateStamp Type of Malfunction Heaters Fans Power supplies SensorsElectronics Software Statistical Cooking Data Hours of OperationDeviations From Operating Temperature Deviations From Normal OperatingTemperature Gradients Cooking Profiles Time Temperature Fan settingHumidity setting Rotation Setting (for rotisserie) Belt Speed DamperPosition Microwave Energy Setting Refrigeration Time and Temperature

According to the preferred embodiment, control center 170 analyzes atblock 735 such diagnostic information so as to determine whether todisable the appliance at block 740 or at block 745 to modify the cookingprofiles stored in the appliance. Such analysis may use the techniquesdisclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,860, U.S. Ser. No.08/501,211 and U.S. Patent application entitled “Diagnostic System For ACooking Appliance,” (Ser. No. 08/549,098), filed Oct. 26, 1995. Thegeneration of other such diagnostic-specific software may be realized bythose programmers of ordinary skill in the art of cooking. For example,it is contemplated that such diagnostic software may use artificialintelligence or so-called “fuzzy-logic.” Such diagnostic informationstored in database 190 may also be later retrieved and used for qualitycontrol to determine the frequency and type of failures for specifictypes of kitchen appliances.

By way of reiteration, based on information transmitted to controlcenter 170, a repair person may be dispatched to the site of the kitchenappliance requiring service or preventive maintenance. This dispatch canbe effected through radio communication (e.g., mobile kitchen station200) or through the use of an ordinary telephone to the appropriateservice center nearest to the location of the kitchen appliance.

Referring to FIG. 8, on site repair is enhanced through the use of aportable hand held terminal 810 having, for example, a Palm/Laptopcomputer linked to microprocessor based controller 140 by a suitableinterface, such as, for example, a wireless RS-232 interface usinginfrared communication. Of course, wireline or optical interfaces mayalso be used. Such hand held pocket computers are readily available fromTexas Instruments, Hewlett Packard and Casio, among others. Hand heldterminal 810 interrogates the controller so as to ascertain the modeland model number of the appliance under service, and then diagnosesabnormal operating conditions. Of course, should infrared communicationbe used, controller 140 is equipped with an infraredtransmitter/receiver 820. The low-level software is readily capable ofimplementation by those skilled in the art. For example, conventionaldatabase management software may be employed in the hand held terminalalong with suitable diagnostic software. It is contemplated that suchsoftware and the like, for example, may be stored in standardized memorycards conforming to both the JEIDA and PCMIA standards. Both standardsare substantially identical for use in 68 pin interchangeable memorycards.

Hand held terminal 810 also has a local RF receiver and transceiverprovided with an antenna by which it communicates to control center 170via kitchen base station 150. Cellular communication to the kitchen basestation may be effected as discussed above herein. To preserve the datacontents of the hand held terminal, a memory back-up battery ispreferable.

Prior to effecting repairs, terminal 810, however, may request fromcontrol center 170 the associated accounting and service informationassociated with the appliance under service. This is illustrated inblock 710 of FIG. 7A. Such accounting and service information includes,but is not limited to:

-   -   Customer Name    -   Customer Location    -   ID    -   Service Area    -   Account Number    -   Bank    -   Service Warranties    -   Credits

Upon effecting repair, control center 170 prepares and transmits atblock 770 an appropriate invoice. The subscriber or an authorized personthereof then enters a security password or code, such as a personalidentification number (PIN) authorizing funds to be transferred from thesubscriber's institution to the service agency that performed the repairor maintenance. Alternatively, an unauthorized signature may bedigitalized and captured. Upon approval, control center 170 at block 775initiates a transfer of funds from the customer's or subscriber'sfinancial institution to the account of the service agency. Oncecompleted, the invoice is transmitted at block 780 to terminal 810 whichthen prints a hard copy of the invoice.

Those skilled in the art will readily recognize the advantages of thisintegrated billing and accounting services inasmuch as this eliminatesthe need for any accounting back at the office of the service agency.

Alternatively, inasmuch as hand held terminal 810 contains the billingrecords for the appliance under service, the invoice may be prepared byhand held terminal 810. In this latter case, hand held terminal 810 isembedded in memory with the standard billing and invoicing format. Onceprepared, the billing records may be transmitted to control center 170.In this manner, some of the accounting functions may be distributed oroff loaded to the hand held terminals. Of course, those skilled in theart will readily realize that kitchen base stations 150 may also beprogrammed to prepare the invoice. These latter choices are dependent onwhether the network is structured as a highly centralized or distributedarchitecture.

Once repairs have been made, control center 170 then updates theaccounting, billing and maintenance records within the database. Also,control center 170 may update inventory, taking into account any partsused in making the repairs. In this manner, service personnel may laterreadily ascertain the availability of parts for a particular appliance,such as through hand held terminal 810.

During repairs, should terminal 810 require updated diagnostic softwarefor the particular appliance under service, such a request istransmitted to the control center. Such a request is responded to atblock 715, with the appropriate software then transmitted to terminal810 via the communication network, as indicated at block 785. In thismanner, as new diagnostic tools become available for specific kitchenappliances, they are now readily accessible for use by the food serviceindustry.

Similarly, database 190 may contain maintenance instructions for eachtype of kitchen appliance. If the service personnel is unfamiliar withthe appliance, a request may be initialized for control center 170 todownload the necessary repair and maintenance instructions for theappliance under service.

Importantly, control center 170 includes database 190 containingcustomer information, accounting history, appliance data, such asprevious repairs and faults, updated diagnostic software and billingdata. Advantageously, this allows service personnel as well as controlcenter operators to update credits, warranties, or returns for aparticular subscriber in real time. Also, service personnel may requestat block 720 for center 170 to generate and transmit various records fora specific subscriber or appliance as indicated below;

Payment History

Maintenance History

Appliance Part Inventory

Customer Data

Prior Repairs or Malfunctions

Warranty Records

Such capabilities enhance quality control as well as minimize the amountof work performed by service personnel on administrative tasks. Databasemanagement software running under UNIX may be employed in control center170, which is readily capable of implementation by those skilled in theart.

Also, it is contemplated that the control center may, if desired,control in real-time the normal operation for some or all of the kitchenappliances. For example, to effect a change in a recipe for a particularfood product, new cooking parameters may be communicated to thecontrollers of each desired kitchen appliance. In this manner, retailfood service chains, such as McDonald's® or Burger King®, may readilyupdate the cooking profiles of their food products on a global basis.

Those skilled in the art will readily understand that during normaloperation, the controller of each kitchen appliance regulates thepercentage of time power is applied to the heating means in accordancewith the stored cooking profiles of the food products. For example, theheating means may be pulsed with either a fixed or variable duty cycle,may be fully turned on, or operated in an on/off manner similar to athermostat. The specific control algorithm is based on the particulartype of kitchen appliance being controlled, for example, fryer, oven,air conditioner or the like.

In accordance with principles of the invention, it is furthercontemplated that the control center may, if desired, alternativelycontrol in real time the peak power demand of the kitchen appliances,for example, in accordance with the relative priorities thereof. Ofcourse, each base station may control the peak power demand, if desired.That is, the control center controls the amount of power utilized by thekitchen appliances within each cell or cells by controlling when variousheating (or cooling) means of the kitchen appliances are turned “on.”This is especially important inasmuch as one of the key parameters indetermining electrical rates charged by a utility company is determinedby the peak power load within a specific period of time. Normally, theutility company charges a customer a higher rate to deliver a higherpeak power.

Advantageously, a minimum peak power can be achieved by limiting thenumber of kitchen appliances that are turned on at any one time.Moreover, the kitchen appliances can be prioritized so that desiredappliances can be serviced first with respect to energy management,depending on the nature of the appliance and its relative priority orimportance to the user.

Included in the diagnostic information periodically transmitted tocontrol center 170 may be the actual power demand of the kitchenappliances. During normal operation, control center 170 determines thelimit for the maximum power demand within each cell or desired number ofcells. Preferably, the maximum power demand for each cell is userprogrammable and is stored, for example, in database 190. The actualpower demand is dependent on the type and number of the kitchenappliances in each cell or cells. If the actual power demand exceeds themaximum power demand limit, control center 170 may reduce the duty cycleof at least one of the kitchen appliance as discussed in more detailherein below. That is, the “OFF' period of the duty cycle of one or moreappliances is lengthen. It should be understood that the duty cycleherein refers to the amount of time the electrical load, e.g., theheating or cooling element, within the kitchen appliance is powered “ON”and “OFF.”

In other words, the system determines whether the maximum demand will beexceeded by comparing the calculated load to the maximum system loadvalue. The maximum system load value is user programmable. Thecalculated load is determined by factoring the power requirements of theappliances currently operating within the cell or cells. It iscontemplated that the user has the capability to change the systemconfiguration, by entering the power requirements of each appliance, thepriority of the appliance and other parameters such as the controlalgorithm used in regulating the temperature.

Preferably, each kitchen appliance is preprogrammed with a minimum powerOn/Off duty cycle to ensure that the appliances operate acceptably. Forexample, during idle, the duty cycle may be varied greatly. Also, forthose appliances having mechanical relays which deteriorate whenexercised frequently, it is desirable to limit the frequency that therelays are closed or opened. This is achieved by preprogramming andfollowing minimum On/Off times. For example, the minimum “ON” time mightbe 4 seconds and the minimum “OFF” time might be 2 seconds.

When control center 170 determines that the maximum demand in a cell ordesired number of cells will be exceeded, selected kitchen applianceswith the lowest priority and powered “on” for the minimum time areplaced into a power cycle “off' state by control center 170. Inasmuch ascontroller 140 and thus control center 170 knows whether the applianceis in an idle or cook mode, the appliance can judiciously be turned offwithout affecting the operation of the appliance. Alternatively, basestation 105 may place the appropriate kitchen appliance in the powercycle “off' state and inform control center 170 of its actions.Additionally, other kitchen appliances, which may not be currentlyoperating, may have their “off time extended by control center 170,which is effected through communication to and from the correspondingmicroprocessor controller 140. For example, when the maximum demandlevel is exceeded, lowest priority appliances on for the minimum “ON”time are turned “OFF.” Then, low priority appliances will have their“OFF' times lengthen by, for example, one second. After an evaluationdelay time, power demand of appliances within the cell or cells areevaluated again and appropriate action taken, including, if necessary,shortening the “OFF” times on a priority basis.

In the above manner, control center 170 preforms a so-called “loadleveling” algorithm to bring the power demand level within each cell orcells within a “safety” band”. Such a “loading leveling” algorithm maybe required when additional kitchen appliances within each cell or cellswish to go online.

It should be understood that the above safety band is a range below themaximum allowed demand which allows the kitchen appliances to operate ina cycled manner, e.g., variable duty cycle or pulsed. When the powerdemand is below the safety band there is power capability to handle moreappliances for operation. When the demand is within the safety band, theappliances within the corresponding cell are said to operatingharmoniously. When the power demand is below the safety band the controlcenter adjusts the allowable “OFF” times of the kitchen appliances byshortening the “Off' time of prioritized appliances.

The maximum safety band is programmable and may, for example, be set to5% of the maximum demand. The result is that all appliances undercontrol within a cell will be controlled without interruption up to themaximum demand level. When the maximum demand level is exceeded, thepower cycling of the lowest priority operating kitchen appliance ismodified by reducing the duty cycle. The portion of the maximum cellload allocated to each appliance is programmed into the control center.Allocation of the maximum cell load is performed by determining thetotal maximum cell load requirement and the desired maximum cell load.Such information may then be used to calculate the percentage of loadeach appliances contributes to the total power load. For example, aappliance rated at 2 Kw within a cell with 40 Kw of appliancescontributes to 5% of the load. With a desired maximum system load of 20Kw, the appliance uses 1 Kw of the maximum load.

Preferably, the present network accumulates the on/off state of eachkitchen appliance at one second intervals or less for a 15 minute timeperiod. This latter data is used to determine the current peak powerdemand. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that theappliance priorities vary as to the time of day. For example, fryerswould have a lower priority in the breakfast menu time than a lunchtimewhen they are heavily used. Accordingly, it is contemplated that theappliance priority may be user programmed to vary with expected demand.

Another uniqueness of the present SCK network is that company assets maybe readily audited without the need of sending auditors into the field.Indeed, the control center would not only have a database of thelocations of the appliances, but what their statistical failure rateswere, which service agency had the parts and inventory for a specificappliance, among other things. Compared with the prior art philosophy ofreacting to malfunctions, the present system actively monitors theperformance of the appliance, providing not only a quality controlfunction, but minimizing in the long, run repair cost.

It should be emphasized that the above described flow charts are merelyexamples of the how the system may be programmed in order to effect thetracking and monitoring of activities directed to billing, repair andmaintenance. Other application-specific software may readily be realizedby those skilled in the art and who have been equipped with theunderstanding of the operation of the present invention as set forth inthe above description.

Accordingly, it should be understood that the embodiment herein ismerely illustrative of the principles of the invention. Variousmodifications may be made by those skilled in the art which will embodythe principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and the scopethereof. For example, hardwired, fiber, infrared or microwavecommunication channels may be used to link the kitchen or cookingappliances to the control center. Furthermore, the some of the repairand accounting services may be distributed or off loaded to the basestations.

Appliance Status/Monitoring

Referring now to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C, the system of the presentinvention may be used to automatically determine whether and whenvarious kitchen appliance-related cooking or maintenance tasks have beencompleted and/or properly performed by an employee. The system canaccomplish this by detecting or sensing various operating parametersassociated with a particular appliance. This eliminates the need to relyon the employee to manually activate a “bump bar” (typically associatedwith a CRT display) to notify the system that a cooking or maintenancetask has been completed. The determination of task completion based onsensed parameters rather than by an indication by an employee reducesthe possibility that an employee will take shortcuts or cheat inperforming a required task and reporting its completion to the systemvia the bump bar. In fact, the present invention eliminates the need fora bump bar as a means for the employee to communicate with the system.

In one embodiment, for example, the system may be used to verify theproper cooking of a food product prepared by batch cooking in a deep vatfryer. Referring to FIG. 9A, a typical restaurant or other foodpreparation establishment kitchen 900 may contain several deep vatfryers 901 (F₁-F₃) having microprocessor based controllers, several foodholding areas 902 (FHB₁-FHB₃) located in the back of the kitchen in astaging area, for example, and several food holding areas 915(FHPOS₁-FHPOS₃) located at the point of sale (POS) for delivery to theconsumer. Food holding areas are well known in the art and are used tohold or keep food after it has been cooked until it is ultimately soldto the consumer. Although food holding areas may be unheated, they oftenmay have a heat source to keep the cooked food at a selected temperatureto extend the shelf life of the cooked food product before it must bediscarded when its holding time expires. Such heat sources may include,but are not limited to infrared radiation, heat bulbs, electric heaters,steam heat, gas heat, hot air blowers, etc. Alphanumeric data entrykeypads 916 may also be provided with the food holding areas 902 and 915whose purpose will become apparent in the discussion below on FIG. 10A.Once food is finished cooking in any of the fryers 901, it may placedand held in any of the food holding bins 902, or alternatively may beplaced directly and held in any of the food holding bins 915 at the POSif consumer demand is immediate. The restaurant management and employeesmay decide into which holding bins 902 or 915 the food is placed, oralternatively, the selection may be dictated automatically by the systemas described below with the discussion on FIG. 10A.

Referring now to FIG. 9B, the physical cooking hardware associated witheach deep vat fryer 901 may consist of a deep vat 903 into which isinserted a cooking basket 904 that holds the food product 905 while itis cooking. A placement sensor 906 is located inside vat 903 whichprovides verification that cooking basket 904 has been inserted (placed)into or removed from the fryer. The placement sensor 906 may be atoggle-type electrical switch, proximity sensor, or any other typeswitch or sensor as will be readily known to those skilled in the artthat is capable of providing a means for detecting that the cookingbasket has been inserted into or removed from the fryer. Cooking medium907, typically oil or shortening, is provided along with at least oneheating element 908 which increases and maintains the temperature of themedium T_(medium) at the proper cooking temperature T_(cook). Atemperature sensor 909 is also provided with the deep vat 903 to measurethe temperature T_(medium) of the cooking medium 907. A CRT monitor 910is provided to serve at least one fryer 901 and is used to displayinformation communicated to the food preparer(s) from the system of thepresent invention. However, a single CRT monitor 910 may provide serviceto more than one fryer 901 and/or food holding bin 902.

Exemplary control logic that may be used with the system of the presentinvention for controlling the proper cooking of food product 906 in thedeep fryer 901 described above is shown in FIG. 9C. This control logicmay reside and be implemented in a kitchen base station or the controlcenter, at the system user's discretion. The kitchen base station andcontrol center data processors may be, but are not limited to, aconventional stand-alone computer unit or several interconnected andnetworked units capable of executing the necessary arithmetic and logicoperations, and carrying out the required communication and networkedfunctions of the invention. Indeed, any type or combination ofmicroprocessors or processors capable of executing the operationsrequired by the system described herein are suitable for use in theinvention and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thecomputer unit or networked computers may be provided with all necessaryperipheral devices (e.g., modems, printers, scanners, CRT displays,etc.) whose selection will be readily apparent to those skilled in theart. The type of peripherals selected is a matter of design choice anddependent upon the specific intended application of the system.

Logic process 920 begins the cooking and control process in step 930. Instep 940, the system receives a cooking command signal to startpreparing a batch of food product 906. The decision to cook anotherbatch of food product 906 may be determined manually by, for example, afood preparer. In this case, the food preparer may simply push a buttonlocated on the appliance to initiate sending the cooking command signalto the system, which signal is received in step 940. Alternatively, thecooking command signal may be input into the system electronically byany number of system input interface methods (e.g., via a keyboard,voice command, wireless device, etc.). The employee may also designateand input the type of food product 906 to be cooked (e.g., friedchicken, fried fish, french fries, etc.) into the system.

The cooking command signal may also be automatically generated by thesystem of the present invention based on input received from the POS(point of service) system or other system-based determinations. Forexample, the POS system may recognize a demand for fried chicken whichexceeds the current inventory, based on a comparison of the number ofcustomer orders received with available supplies of fried chicken onhand in the food holding bins 902 and 915. The system then generates thecommand signal to cook more fried chicken to ensure an adequate supplyis available to meet the anticipated demand.

Still referring to FIG. 9C, the control logic is pre-programmed in step931 with the proper cooking time T_(cook) for the particular foodproduct 906 to be prepared. Cooking time T_(cook) represents the totalcooking time required to properly cook the food as a function of thecooking medium temperature T_(medium). This information may beelectronically stored in a lookup table or database accessible to thesystem. Where deep vat fryers 901 (F₁-F₃) are used to cook differenttypes of food products 906, the proper cooking time for each type may bestored in the lookup table or data base, and then be automaticallydetermined by the system from the cooking command signal whichidentifies the variety of food product to be cooked. The system may beused to assist in determining the cooking time T_(cook) by sensing andreading the temperature of the cooking medium T_(medium) via temperatureprobe 909 in fryer vat 903. The system then accesses the lookup table ordatabase into which has been input various cooking times T_(cook) versuscooking medium temperatures T_(medium) for any number of types of foodproducts 906.

Responsive to the signal generated in step 940, the system may providean audiovisual indicator, which may be either an audio warning or avisual message displayed on a CRT as shown in step 950, instructing thefood preparer to cook food product 906. The food product may beidentified by name in the message (e.g., fried chicken, fried fish,french fries, etc.) which has been programmed into the system and inputinto the cooking time t_(ook) lookup table or database. This message maybe displayed on CRT monitor 910 as shown in FIG. 9B. The system nextperforms a test in step 960 to determine if the placement sensor 906 hasbeen activated, thereby providing an objective, positive indication thatthe food preparer has inserted the food basket 904 with food product 906into the fryer vat 903. If the placement sensor 906 has not beenactivated, control returns to step 960 to repeat the test. The logic canalso be configured to deliver a second, renewed instruction if thedesired action contained in the initial message has not occurred andbeen sensed by the system within a predetermined first response time(which may be programmed into the system) from when the initial messagewas delivered to the food preparer. This second instruction may bepresented with greater urgency to the food preparer via the monitor andaccompanied by an appropriate audible alert. If the food preparer stilldoes not respond in a timely manner to the second instruction within apredetermined second response time (as indicated by the failure of thesystem to sense the required action), the logic can further beconfigured to deliver an additional extremely urgent message to the foodpreparer and/or send a management alert message to another location(e.g., on-site or off-site manager's computer).

If the test in step 960 indicates that the placement sensor has beenactivated, step 970 is executed in which the cooking timer isinitialized. Next, the system starts the cooking process in step 980.

In step 985, a test is performed to determine if the required totalcooking time took has elapsed, thereby indicating that food product 906is finished cooking. If the total cooking time T_(cook) has not elapsed,control passes to step 986 which performs a test to determine if theplacement sensor has been deactivated. If the sensor has beendeactivated, this indicates that the food preparer has prematurelywithdrawn the cooking basket 904 from the fryer 900 before the foodproduct 906 has finished cooking. This is a common problem whenrestaurants are very busy and food preparers are anxious to provide foodproducts to the customers. However, such premature withdrawal can resultin inadequately cooked food being served to consumers. In response tofinding that the sensor has been deactivated, an audiovisual indicator,which may be either an audio warning or a visual message displayed on aCRT as shown in step 987, may be provided indicating that the cooking isincomplete. This indicator may be provided to alert the food preparerand/or management. Step 988 is then executed in which the systemidentifies the food preparer making the error, and logs the date, time,and other pertinent monitored details of the event (e.g., food productremoved 5 minutes early from fryer). The food preparer responsible foroperating the fryer will have previously been identified to the systemby data input from either the restaurant management (e.g., shift charts)or the food preparer (e.g., at the start of the shift). It should benoted that the restaurant management can decide precisely whatparameters and information it wishes to track, and then program thesystem to record that information accordingly. In step 989, the systemstores the event-related information in a database which can later berecalled and displayed by the supervisor or management to determine theemployee involved and appropriate action. Optionally, the system canprovide real-time notification of this information to a remote locationby using the capabilities of the system to transmit the data bycellular, digital, Internet, or other wireless communication means;conventional telecommunication means via modem access, or overconventional Internet connections. This will particularly advantageouswhere management oversees the operation of one or more restaurants froma remote location.

Returning to step 985, if the total cooking time t_(ook) has elapsed, anaudiovisual indicator, which may be either an audio warning or a visualmessage displayed on a CRT as shown in step 990, may be providedinstructing the food preparer to remove the cooking basket 904 from thefryer 900 because the food product 906 is finished cooking. This may beaccompanied by an audible alert initiated by the system. Control is thenreturned to step 940 to await receipt of another cooking instruction.

It should be recognized that the system is not limited to verificationof manual tasks associated with cooking food, but may be used to verifythe completion of any equipment-related manual tasks such as maintenanceand other procedures e.g., changing or filtering of shortening or oilused in deep vat fryers. To verify that proper shortening or oilmaintenance has been performed, the system control logic may beprogrammed to record various parameters such as the actual time it tookfor an employee to drain, clean, and refill the fryer with newshortening or oil. The system can then compare this information topreprogrammed baseline time durations normally associated withcompleting these tasks properly. If the comparison indicates these taskswere completed in less time than the baseline values, the maintenanceoperations could not have been properly performed. The system may alsobe programmed to monitor the temperature of the cooking medium (i.e.,oil or shortening), for example, by a temperature probe located in thevat which is normally immersed while the fryer is in an operablecondition. If the fryer is fully drained (as it should be) duringmaintenance, the temperature probe should become exposed to air and thesystem should see temperatures approaching ambient conditions. If thefryer vat has only been partially drained by an employee, the probe willnot be exposed to air and higher than ambient temperatures will besensed by the system, thereby indicating that the maintenance was notproperly performed.

It should be recognized that the system is not limited to the use of anyparticular type of sensors 906 to verify the completion of manualequipment related tasks. Depending on the specific manual task to beverified which is a matter of design choice, the system may be providedwith and rely on any suitable sensor whose selection and applicationwill be well known to those skilled in the art (e.g, temperaturesensors, flow detectors, etc.). Moreover, it is not necessary that thesystem be provided with any discrete sensor at all and may in factmeasure various equipment operating parameters, for example, such ascurrent (amps) draw, to obtain the information necessary to verify thata manual task has been performed involving the equipment.

Virtual Hold Timer

The system of the present invention may also be used to establish a“virtual timer” to track the hold times for food after it has beencooked. In one embodiment, for example, the system may be used to trackhold times for fried chicken that is prepared in a deep vat fryer. Thisembodiment may be understood by reference to FIG. 9A described above andFIG. 10A which depicts exemplary control logic that may be used tocreate a virtual timer. This control logic may reside and be implementedin a kitchen base station or the control center, at the system user'sdiscretion.

Referring now to FIG. 10A, logic process 1000 begin with step 1005. Instep 1010, the system receives a signal that a batch of food, forexample fried chicken, has finished cooking (“cooking complete” signal).This signal may be triggered in the system by a food preparer manuallydepressing a button on the fryer controller affirming that the chickenhas been removed from the fryer after the cooking cycle is completed.Alternatively, the system may automatically detect the removal of thefryer basket by deactivation of a placement sensor 906 (as shown in FIG.9B) whose function is described above with reference to anotherembodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 9C.

Once the Cooking Complete signal is received, the system automaticallyassigns a Batch Identification Number (BID) to that batch of food, whichhas been prepared in one of the fryers 901 (reference FIG. 9A) in step1015. The BID will be used to track the batch of food in its movementthrough the restaurant's various holding areas 902 and 915 (FIG. 9A)until it is either sold and delivered to the consumer or discarded (ifthe batch hold time has expired). The system generates a signal in step1016 representing the BID and displays the BID in step 1017 on a localCRT display located near the fryers 901. The employee will use theassigned BID for entry into the system upon subsequently moving the foodproduct throughout the restaurant. Of course, the BID may optionally bemanually assigned by the employee.

The restaurant employee next places the batch of cooked food in one ofthe food holding areas 902 or 915 (FIG. 9A). Upon placing the food in afood holding area, the employee reads the BID (e.g., FCHK3 representingthe third batch of fried chicken prepared on a given day) off of the CRTdisplay associated with the cooking/preparation appliance and entersthis information into the system via an alphanumeric keypad 916 (FIG.9A) that may be provided with the holding areas 902 or 915. Preferably,the keypad 916 is capable of wireless communications with the system andneed not be physically a part of the food holding areas 902 or 915.Alternatively, the employee may enter the BID into the system via anyavailable data entry means which may be provided with the system such asan alphanumeric keyboard, voice recognition system, hand-held wirelessdata entry devices that are in communication with the system (e.g.,similar to those used for inventory control or completing mobile POSpurchase transactions), or any other suitable device. The type of dataentry means used is a matter of design choice.

The holding area keypad 916 may be linked to and communicate with thesystem by either a wireless or conventional hard-wired datacommunication link. The use of wireless communication links between akeypad and a main system are well known not only in the food preparationindustry, but also in the wireless premise intrusion alarm system art.Such keypad devices may operate off standard 120 volt AC hard wiredpower supplies or off of battery power. It should be recognized that theemployee may select the holding area in which to place the food, oralternatively, the control logic of the system may be programmed toautomatically select a holding area and then deliver an instruction tothe employee to place the food in the area selected by the system,displaying the BID on the CRT associated with the holding area where itssupposed to be placed. In this instance, a variation of the logic ofFIG. 9C can be used to verify that the appropriate batch of food hasbeen put there. It will be apparent that the cooked food may be placedin any available (unoccupied) holding area 902 or 915. Each holding areais assigned it own unique designation code (e.g, FHB₁, FHPOS₃, etc.) bythe restaurant management as illustrated in FIG. 9A. These holding areadesignation codes are pre-programmed into, and are recognized by, thesystem. The keypad 916 may be provided with a visual display or readoutwhich identifies the BID of the food product which has been placed inthat respective food holding area. Alternatively, this information maybe shown on a system CRT display that may show several food holding areadesignation codes and the BID of food products that reside therein.

With continuing reference to FIG. 10A, in step 1020, the control logicnext creates a link and associates the holding area designation codewith the BID by virtue of the employee entering the BID into the systemvia the holding area keypad (or the system assigning the hold area to beused and instructing the employee to place the cooked food there) asdescribed immediately above. For example, the employee may place friedchicken BID FCHK3 in holding area FHB₁, and enters the BID into thekeypad at holding area FHB₁ It should be recognized that the keypad maybe an integral part of and physically attached to the holding areadevice during its manufacture, or the keypad may be a separate, standalone unit that is added later to the holding area setup.

In logic step 1025, the system next determines the proper hold time at aparticular holding temperature for the type of food product that hasbeen prepared (here, for example, fried chicken). To make thisdetermination, the control logic accesses a database into which holdtimes as a function of holding temperature have been entered byrestaurant management for all the various types of food products that agiven restaurant might prepare. This database may reside within thelocal base stations or at the control center. For example, the controllogic may read a database entry that indicates the maximum hold time forfried chicken held at a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit is 60minutes. It should be recognized that hold times may be stored intabular form in the database with discrete entries of temperature andhold times. Alternatively, hold time information may be stored in thesystem database as a set of curves in the form of hold times versustemperature. The stored hold time information may include an “offset”such that any warning generated in connection with the expiration of thehold time will sufficiently precede the actual hold time expiration toallow appropriate steps to be taken (i.e., an “advance notification”time). This aspect of the invention will be further described below inconjunction with FIG. 10B.

Once the proper hold time has been determined in step 1025, the controllogic next starts a hold timer in step 1030 which begins counting downthe remaining hold time for the particular batch of food in question.This “virtual” hold timer will continue to monitor the elapsed time forthe food product with its associated BID as the food is physically movedthrough the restaurant by the employees as described below.

In logic step 1035, a test is performed to determine if the hold timehas elapsed for the batch of food being tracked. If the hold time hasnot elapsed, step ,036 executes a test to determine if the food productbatch has changed holding area locations. For example, if batch of friedchicken BID FCHK3 is moved from its initial back kitchen holding area(FHB₁) to point of sale holding area FHPOS₂, the employee enters BIDFCHK3 into the holding area keypad associated with FHPOS₂. The systemwould therefore receive information that BID FCHK3 is now in holdingarea FHPOS₂ instead of FHB₁. Thus, using this example, the control logicperforming the test in step 1036 would return a positive answer that thehold area location has changed for BID FCHK3. In this case, control isreturned to step 1020 which records in the system the new, changedholding area location associated with batch of fried chicken BID FCHK3.Since hold times may differ according to such factors as the holdingtemperature, for example, the remaining hold time for the new locationis recalculated in step 1025 factoring into the calculation any timealready expended in the previous holding area location. The logicprocess then continues with steps 1030 and 1035 as described above.

If in step 1036 a negative response is initially returned to the testindicating that the food holding area location has not been changed,control is returned to step 1035.

If in step 1035, however, the hold time is found to have elapsed, step1040 is executed, generating a signal indicating that the hold time hasexpired for the batch of food (BID FCHK3 using the above example).Responsive to the signal generated in step 1040, an audiovisualindicator, which may be either an audio warning or a visual messagedisplayed on a CRT as shown in step 1041, may be provided indicatingthat the hold time has expired and that the batch of food should bediscarded. Control is then returned to step 1010 ready to begin thelogic process again.

FIG. 10B depicts an additional embodiment logic process 1050 (which is avariation of logic process 1000) that is directed to assisting arestaurant in controlling inventory of its cooked food products. Thesystem can perform this function by sensing that the hold time for abatch of food will soon expire, and then sending advance instructions tocook more of that particular food. This allows restaurant management andemployees enough advance warning to prepare additional batches of foodwhich will be ready in time to replace the soon-to-expire batch of food,thereby ensuring that consumers' demand for that particular food itemcan be met without undue delay and consumer dissatisfaction.

Referring to FIG. 10B, after the test in step 1035 is performed (FIG.10A) and a negative response is returned, control passes in step 1049 tostep 1055 which is performed in parallel with step 1036 (FIG. 10A). Instep 1055, the system selects the proper advance notification timet_(notif.) that has been previously input into a database accessible toand residing in the system by the restaurant management. This databasemay reside in the base stations or the control center. Time t_(notif.)generally represents the amount of lead time required to both prepareand cook a replacement batch of any particular food product, and may beempirically determined. For example, the advance notification timet_(notif.) to prepare and cook fried chicken may be twenty minutes.

In step 1060, the remaining hold time t_(rem.) is calculated byreference to the batch hold timer which is initiated in step 1030 (FIG.10A). In step 1065, a test is performed to determine if an advancenotification message should be delivered to start preparation of anotherbatch of food to replace the food whose hold time will soon expire. Thisis accomplished by comparing the advance notification time t_(notif.)with the remaining hold time t_(rem). If in step 1065 t_(rem.) isgreater than t_(notif.), step 1042 is executed which transfers controlback to step 1035 in logic process 1000 (FIG. 10A). If in step 1065t_(rem.) is equal to or less than t_(notif), step 1070 is executed whichgenerates a signal instructing employees to cook more food. Responsiveto the signal generated in step 1070, an audiovisual indicator, whichmay be either an audio warning or a visual message displayed on a CRT asshown in step 1075, may be provided instructing employees that anotherbatch of food should be prepared and cooked to replace the food whosehold time is about to expire. Optionally, as shown in step 1066, thesystem and control logic may be configured such that an advancenotification message signal is also generated and accompanied by anaudiovisual indicator advising employees of the time when the food holdtime will expire. A visual message may be displayed showing the numberof minutes in the future when the hold time expires (e.g., 20 minutes),the real time of day (e.g., 2p.m.), or both.

It will be appreciated by one skilled in the art that with thenetworking capability of the invention, logic process 1050 could bemodified and customized in a number of different ways to assist arestaurant in managing and controlling its inventory of cooked foodproducts. For example, optional logic process 1080 in FIG. 1013 is avariation of logic process 1050 which is directed to checking availablecooked food product inventories in a restaurant before instructingemployees to cook additional batches of food. Logic process 1080 beginswith the results of the test performed in step 1065 of logic process1050. Based on obtaining a negative result for the test in step 1065,step 1085 is executed which is a test to determine if a replacementbatch of food product (for the batch whose hold time will soon expire)is already available either in the process of being cooked or in anotherhold area. Since the system is capable of communicating with cookingappliances connected to communication network of the system, the systemcan readily determine what food products are in the process of beingcooked and their expected cooking completion times. If in step 1085 thesystem finds another batch of the food product available, control passesto step 190 which stops logic process 1080. This prevents thepossibility that a replacement batch of food will be unnecessarilycooked resulting in an inventory of that particular food product inexcess of consumer demand. This undesirable situation would mean thatthe excess food would eventually be discarded after its hold timeexpires and increase operating costs for the restaurant. If in the testof step 1085 a replacement batch of cooked food product is not found inthe restaurant, steps 1086 and 1087 are executed which are identical tosteps 1070 and 1075, respectively, which generates a signal andaudiovisual indicator advising employees and/or management that anadditional batch of food should be cooked.

Shortening Management/Fryer Maintenance Management

The system of the present invention may also be used to providenetworked and integrated management, including maintenance (e.g.,changing and filtering of oil or shortening), of a plurality of fryersat a given restaurant location. In one embodiment of the invention, thesystem may be used to balance multiple fryer usage and to schedule themaintenance of the various fryers to ensure that a maximum number offryers are available for service during peak demand periods for food.Exemplary control logic which may be programmed into in the system ofthe invention to balance fryer utilization and maintenance is shown inthe flowchart of FIG. 11. This control logic may reside and beimplemented in a kitchen base station or the control center, at thesystem user's discretion.

Referring to FIG. 11, logic process 1100 begins with step 1110. In step1111, the control logic is pre-programmed with baseline fryermaintenance data that is used to determine the maximum number of fryercooking cycles desirable for each fryer before changing or filtering ofthe cooking medium is required. This baseline data may include, but isnot limited to: the type of food products cooked, time durations forboth active cooking and idle time, cooking temperatures, types ofcooking medium that may be used (e.g., shortening, vegetable oil, canolaoil, etc.), and other parameters which are at the restaurantmanagement's discretion to be used for determining when fryer cookingmedium maintenance is required. The baseline data may be readilydetermined by empirical methods and from experience in the restaurantindustry. In step 1112, the control logic is also preprogrammed with thetime durations necessary to complete a maintenance cycle such aschanging or filtering the cooking medium (i.e., maintenance downtime).This data will be dependent on the specific brand or type of fryers usedand their design characteristics (e.g., volumetric capacity of the fryervat, cooking medium pump flowrate, etc.).

It should be noted that the baseline data discussed above in steps 1111and 1112 may be preferably stored in a database accessible to the systemand may reside either in the local kitchen base stations or the remotelylocated control center.

Continuing with the logic process in step 1120, the system next readshistorical sales data maintained by the system to determine the demandfor various types of food products (i.e., fried chicken, french fries,fried fish, onion rings, etc.) served at a specific restaurant locationfor a given day of the week and time of day. This data may be stored andupdated in a database residing in the system either in a local kitchenbase station or at a remotely located control center. This informationis preferably collected by the POS (point of sale) system for a specificrestaurant since demand for various types of food will differ by thegeographic location of the restaurant and preferences of the consumersit serves.

In step 1130, the system monitors and determines the actual usage ofindividual fryers at a particular restaurant location or cell as shownin FIG. 1. in this step, relevant data on actual operating conditions iscollected and read by the system for each fryer. This data will be usedby the system to determine when the cooking medium for each fryer willrequire maintenance and the type of maintenance operation required(i.e., cooking medium changing or filtering). This may include, but isnot limited to, the number of cooking cycles actually completed sincethe last cooking medium filtration or changing, elapsed time of fryerusage, fryer idle time and temperature of cooking medium while idle,cooking cycle temperatures, type of food cooked, and other data whichwill be used by the system to determine when the cooking medium requireschanging or filtering. The actual usage information on each fryer may betracked and stored by each individual appliance microprocessorcontroller, a local kitchen base station, a remotely located controlcenter, or any combination of the foregoing. It should also be notedthat if a fryer is broken and unavailable for service, the system wouldidentify the fryer's unavailability during step 1130 as well. Therefore,the broken fryer or fryers would not be factored into the subsequentlogic step determinations described below.

In step 1140, the predicted time when each fryer will requiremaintenance and the expected duration of the maintenance is determinedfor each fryer at a given restaurant location by using the baseline datapre-programmed into the system in steps 1111 and 1112, and the actualoperating data obtained by the system for each fryer in step 1130.

Step 1150 continues the control logic with the system utilizing thehistorical sales data read in step 1120 to forecast or predict theexpected demand for each type of food product served at a specificrestaurant location at any given time of day for any given day of theweek. The system thus generates demand profiles for each type of foodproduct consisting of the quantity sold versus the time of day for agiven day of the week. For example, therefore, the system may know thatconsumer demand for fried fish may peak at noon on Fridays, while thedemand for fried chicken is maximum at six o'clock in the evening on thesame day. The demand profiles generated by the system are preferablyupdated on a continuing basis using the historical sales data from thePOS system, to ensure the most accurate food product demand forecastscan be made. It should be recognized that there will typically be morethan one period during any given day when food product demand in generalwill peak for any given product, typically there are two peaks(lunchtime and dinnertime). Optionally, the system may also read inhistorical food product demand data from past years to reflect seasonalchanges in food product ordering habits of consumers where it is knownby restaurant management that such seasonal variations exist. Thus, itis apparent the system is extremely flexible and the type of data usedby the system in generating food product demand profiles is controlledby and at the discretion of restaurant management.

Proceeding to logic step 1160, the predicted maintenance timing (time ofday), duration, and type of operation required (i.e., filtering orchanging of the cooking medium) for each fryer as calculated by thesystem in step 1130 is compared with the demand forecast for each typeof food product served at the restaurant on a given day of the week asdetermined in step 1150. This allows the system to determine if asufficient number of fryers will be available to meet the upcoming peakdemands for the various types of food products being served.

Still referring to FIG. 11, the logic process is continued in step 1170wherein the system schedules the timing of all fryer maintenanceoperations at the specific restaurant location based on theirmaintenance requirements determined in the preceding logic steps.Preferably, the maintenance cycles are planned to ensure that asufficient number of fryers are available for service to meet peakdemand periods for the various type of food products being served.Accordingly, the maintenance operations are preferably scheduled tocoincide with off-peak periods of food product demand to the extentpossible. When it is time to run a maintenance procedure on a specificfryer, the system next generates and delivers a signal in step 1180containing that information. In restaurants which have fully automatedfryer maintenance operations, the signal generated is a control signalwhich automatically initiates the required maintenance operation. Wherefryer maintenance operations are initiated manually by restaurantemployees, the signal generated is an information signal which providesnotification via a message display to the employees to initiate amaintenance cycle. This informational signal would identify the specificfryer and type of maintenance operation required (e.g., “change cookingmedium” or “filter cooking medium”). The information can be displayed ona local CRT display and may be optionally accompanied by an audiblealert which is also generated by the system to coincide with thedelivery of the informational maintenance message. Following step 1180,control is returned to step 1120 which continues logic process 1100.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that the control logicdepicted in FIG. II can be modified in any number of ways to suit theindividual needs and preferences of various restaurant establishments.For example, the control logic may include steps to balance fryerutilization by allocating and scheduling the cooking cycles amongvarious fryers at a specific restaurant location. The system would thusinstruct the employees as to which fryers to use for which food productsat any given period during the day. These instructions may be displayedon local CRT displays associated with the fryers. Balancing fryerutilization would help to further ensure that a maximum number of fryersare available to meet peak demand periods for food.

With respect to the foregoing embodiments of the invention which havebeen described, it should be recognized that communications, whetherbetween the individual appliances, base stations, control center, or anycombination thereof, may be accomplished by any suitable wireless orwired means for the intended application and is a matter of designchoice. Preferably, communications are effectuated through wirelesscommunication platforms whose technology is well established and knownto those skilled in the art. More preferably, the wirelesscommunications are performed over the Internet using establishednationwide wireless networks. However, the Internet links may also beconventional, wire-based connections such as through standardtelecommunication lines, DSP lines, T1 service, etc.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that individualappliances and base station local networks may be communicated with viaany of the numerous mobile communication devices prevalent in today'selectronic technology. These devices may include, but are not limitedto, cellular and other wireless communicating devices which may beembodied in a phone-type platform, laptop or notebook computers,personal digital assistants (PDAs) or Pocket PCs, etc. Accordingly, forexample, these devices may be used to upload or download data, controlappliance and base station operations including food preparation andmaintenance, monitor appliance status and sales, etc., all from a remotelocation. These communication devices may effectuate contact with theappliances or base stations via wireless Internet connections usingestablished nationwide wireless networks.

It should be noted that no system is perfect, and employees may alwaysmanage to find ways to cheat. Moreover, there is always some degree ofhuman involvement in any automated process at some point, especially inoperating a food service establishment. Accordingly, there is no systemthat can, with 100 percent certainty, “verify” full compliance is beingactually achieved at all times. The present invention, however,surpasses systems of the past because it is based more heavily onempirical data and actual measurement of objective parameters to verifythat tasks are properly being completed.

It should further be recognized that the invention is not limited to theparticular embodiments described above. Accordingly, numerousmodifications can be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention and scope of the claims appended hereto. For example, it willalso be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention isnot limited to restaurant applications, but may be employed in anycommercial, institutional, or residential application wherein appliancesare used. Moreover, the invention is not limited to use with anyparticular type of food product or appliance, and will find broadapplicability in the food preparation and service industry wherever theinvention may be feasiblely employed. Thus, the invention may be usedwith ovens, ice machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, heating and airconditioning units, etc. which may be provided with microprocessor-basedcontrollers to provide a communication interface with the system andnetwork of the invention. Accordingly, these appliances may be“Web-enabled” to effectuate communications with the system via theInternet.

1-47. (canceled)
 48. A communication system for monitoring the operation and maintenance of at least one kitchen appliance, comprising: a control center; a database, operatively coupled to the control center, containing data related to said at least one kitchen appliance; and a communication network interconnecting said at least one kitchen appliance with said control center, wherein said system, responsive to data regarding the operation and maintenance of said at least one kitchen appliance, prepares at least one of accounting or billing reports for said at least one kitchen appliance, said communication system further comprising a point of sale system accessing said at least one of accounting or billing data from said database, said point of sale system directing the transfer of funds associated with the service of a specific one of said at least one kitchen appliance, from a user's financial institution to an agency's financial account performing the service.
 49. The communication system of claim 48, further comprising a repair vehicle, said repair vehicle in communication with said control center, said control center dispatching said repair vehicle in response to said data regarding maintenance of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 50. The communication system of claim 49, wherein a repair is effected as a result of dispatching said repair vehicle and said billing data is a bill for said repair.
 51. The communication system of claim 48, wherein data regarding the operation and maintenance of at least one kitchen appliance is the monitoring of the degradation of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 52. The communication system of claim 51, wherein said control center causes a message to be displayed at said at least one kitchen appliance if said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 53. The communication system of claim 51, wherein said control center disables said at least one kitchen appliance when said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 54. The communication system of claim 51, wherein said control center communicates with said at least one kitchen appliance to change an operational parameter of said kitchen appliance to compensate for said degradation.
 55. The system of claim 48, wherein said communication network is a wireless network.
 56. The communication system of claim 48, further comprising a handheld terminal, communicating with said control center and said kitchen appliance.
 57. The communication system of claim 56, wherein said control center prepares and transmits an invoice to said handheld terminal upon completion of maintenance for said at least one kitchen appliance.
 58. The communication system of claim 48, wherein said data includes a serial number associated with said kitchen appliance.
 59. A communication system for monitoring the operation and maintenance of at least one kitchen appliance, comprising: a control center; a database, operatively in communication with said control center, containing at least one of accounting and billing data for said at least one kitchen appliance; and a communication network interconnecting said at least one kitchen appliance with said control center, wherein said system, responsive to data regarding the operation and maintenance of said at least one kitchen appliance, prepares at least one of accounting and billing reports for said at least one kitchen appliance, said communication system further comprising a point of sale system charging a user's financial account for expenses associated with service of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 60. The communication system of claim 59, further comprising a repair vehicle, said repair vehicle in communication with said control center, said control center dispatching said repair vehicle in response to said data regarding maintenance of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 61. The communication system of claim 59, wherein a repair is effected as a result of dispatching said repair vehicle and said billing data is a bill for said repair.
 62. The communication system of claim 59, wherein data regarding the operation and maintenance of at least one kitchen appliance is the monitoring of the degradation of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 63. The communication system of claim 62, wherein said control center causes a message to be displayed at said at least one kitchen appliance if said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 64. The communication system of claim 62, wherein said control center disables said at least one kitchen appliance when said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 65. The communication system of claim 62, wherein said control center communicates with said at least one kitchen appliance to change an operational parameter of said kitchen appliance to compensate for said degradation.
 66. The communication system of claim 59, wherein said communication network is a wireless network.
 67. The communication system of claim 59, further comprising a handheld terminal, communicating with said control center and said kitchen appliance.
 68. The communication system of claim 67, wherein said control center prepares and transmits an invoice to said handheld terminal upon completion of maintenance for said at least one kitchen appliance.
 69. The communication system of claim 59, wherein said data includes a serial number associated with said kitchen appliance.
 70. A method of processing at least one of billing, accounting and diagnostic information for kitchen appliances wherein a plurality of kitchen appliances each transmits and receives data associated with their operating conditions to a control center and a point of sale system, comprising the steps of: initiating service of a specific kitchen appliance upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition; retrieving from said control center information associated with said specific kitchen appliance so as to thereby generate a repair invoice; retrieving billing information from said control center for said specific kitchen appliance; and transmitting said billing information to said point of sale of system, said point of sale system electronically transferring funds for the repair of said specific kitchen appliance from a user's financial account to an agency's financial account performing the repair.
 71. The method of claim 70, further comprising the steps of providing a repair vehicle in communication with said control center, said control center dispatching said repair vehicle in response to said data regarding maintenance of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 72. The method of claim 70, further comprising the step of effecting a repair as a result of dispatching said repair vehicle and said billing data is a bill for said repair.
 73. The method of claim 70, further comprising the steps of monitoring the degradation of said at least one kitchen appliance.
 74. The method of claim 73, wherein said control center causes a message to be displayed at said at least one kitchen appliance if said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 75. The method of claim 73, wherein said control center disables said at least one kitchen appliance when said degradation exceeds a predetermined level.
 76. The method of claim 73, wherein said control center communicates with said at least one kitchen appliance to change an operational parameter of said kitchen appliance to compensate for said degradation.
 77. The method of claim 70, wherein said communication network is a wireless network.
 78. The method of claim 70, further comprising the step of communicating with said control center and said kitchen appliance from a handheld terminal.
 79. The method of claim 70, further comprising the step of updating at least one of the accounting, billing and maintenance in response to said service performed.
 80. The method of claim 76, further comprising the step of said control center sending software to said handheld terminal to effect one of maintenance and repair to said kitchen appliance.
 81. The method of claim 76, further comprising the step of storing at least one of payment history, maintenance history, appliance part inventory, customer data, repair history, malfunction history, and warranty records for said at least one kitchen appliance in said database. 